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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · band · track · current · club · tear · rush · mug

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mug — to rob
  3. current — happening now
  4. club — a group
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. club — for dancing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. band — a ring
  9. current — electric
  10. tear — from crying
  11. band — a music group
  12. mug — a face
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. tear — to rip
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. track — a song
  22. club — for golf
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com